COVID-19: Lagos begins fumigation of state secretariat, govt agencies – Newstrends
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COVID-19: Lagos begins fumigation of state secretariat, govt agencies

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By Dada Jackson

The Lagos State Government on Saturday commenced the full decontamination/fumigation of offices in the state secretariat complexes and other governmental offices in line with preventive measures to curtail the spread of the second wave of the COVID-19.

A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services in Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources,  Mrs Belinda Odeneye, stated that the exercise had become necessary to reduce the risk of the spread of the coronavirus at the state secretariat.

She said the state government would continue to adopt measures as part of the safety protocols to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic did not further spread in the state, saying that the fumigation exercise would be a continuous process until the pandemic is contained.

She pointed out that the decontamination exercise which commenced with the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Lands Bureau, and Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development would end on Saturday, 30th of January 2021.

According to her, the exercise commences at 2pm during the weekdays while it will start at 8am on weekends, urging workers to vacate their offices and complex on stipulated days in order to avoid inhaling the chemicals used during fumigation.

According to the schedule, the Office of the Head of Service/PSO, Ministry of Special Duties & Inter-Governmental Relations, Management Services and Reforms Office, Office of Transformation,  Creativity and Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, Office of Public Private Partnership, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency and Office of Civic Engagement will be fumigated on Saturday 16th of January, 2021 while the Office of Secretary to the State Government Cabinet Office, Office of the State Auditor General, Audit Service Commission, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance is to be fumigated on Sunday 17th of January 2021.

The Office of the Deputy Governor, Ministry of Local Government & Community Affairs, Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Tourism Culture, Ministry of Waterfronts will be fumigated on Monday 18th January 2021 in addition to the Ministry of Works & Infrastructure, Ministry of Housing, Civil Service Pension Office, Ministry of Information & Strategy and Ministry of Health that will be decontaminated on Tuesday 19th of January, 2021.

The staff clinic, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Establishment, Training & Pensions, Central Business Districts Office, Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives is expected to be fumigated on the Wednesday, 20th of January, 2021.

It listed Ministry of Wealth Creation & Employment, Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources, Ministry of Home Affairs, Lagos State Liaison Office Annex, Lagos State Valuation Office, Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department and Lagos State Planning & Environmental Monitoring Authority for Thursday 21st of January, 2021.

The State Treasury Office, Ministry of Finance, ABAT Centre, SPDV, Ministry of Science & Technology and the Ministry of Youth and Social Development are to be fumigated on Friday 22nd of January 2021 while Ministry of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State Safety Commission, Ministry of Economic planning & Budget, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission and the Lagos Television LTV Complex Agidingbi are to be decontaminated on 23rd of January.

It will be the turn of the State House of Assembly Complex, LASEPA Building, LASEMA, Fire Service Office, Alausa, Digital Village and RRS & GMT on Sunday 24, January.

The exercise moves to the Old Secretariat, Ikeja on Monday, 25th January 2021 with Local Government Service Commission, Local Government Establishment & Pension Office, Teachers Establishment & Pension Office, Office of the Auditor General for Local Governments, Office of Youth & Social Development (COURT), Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, Muslim Pilgrims Board, Christian Pilgrims Board, LABCA, LSEB and LASURA on Monday 25th January, 2021.

The Lagos House/Office of the Governor, Office of Chief of Staff and Lagos Global will be fumigated on Tuesday 26th January, 2021.

And it will continue on 27th January at Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA), JJT and Ndubuisi Kanu Parks, Staff Canteen and ADEYEMI BERO Auditorium Hall.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Lagos State Printing Corporation, Office Of Surveyor General, Arts and Culture, DMO and  LASRAA Office are scheduled for Thursday 28th January, 2021.

The fumigation/decontamination exercise moves to Oshodi on 29th January for the offices of LASTMA, LASDRI, Lagos State Task Force, KAI Office, Neighbourhood Watch and LAW Reforms Commission and will be rounded off on 30th January with the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory, Public Works Bureau, Lagos State Cooperatives College.

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Court orders Alcon Nigeria to pay ex-workers over N39m

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Court orders Alcon Nigeria to pay ex-workers over N39m

Justice Muhammad Hamza of the Port Harcourt Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court has ordered Alcon Nigeria Limited to pay its former employee N39,707,607 for breach of contract.

In a statement on Monday, the court declared that Alcon Nigeria Limited’s non-payment of Mr. A. Ikenna’s salary from October 2021 to January 2022 constituted a breach of the employment contract.

The court further ordered Alcon Nigeria Limited to pay Mr. Ikenna N16,781,500 as pension contributions for the period from January 2017 to January 2022, N5,762,267.4 as salary for October 2021 to January 13, 2022 (less one month’s payment in lieu of notice), N11,289,600 as End of Service/Gratuity, and N5,874,240 as leave allowance for the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 periods, plus a 50kg bag of rice, among other payments.

Facts of the case 

The claimant stated before the court that he was forced to resign from Alcon Nigeria Limited due to the company’s failure to pay his outstanding benefits.

The claimant’s legal team argued that their client’s obligation to comply with Alcon Nigeria Limited’s exit protocols only arises when the company has fully settled all outstanding salaries, allowances, and pension contributions owed to Mr. Ikenna prior to his resignation.

The claimant contended that, since Alcon Nigeria Limited admitted to breaching the employment contract, it could not claim that he had failed to adhere to exit protocols following his resignation.

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The claimant urged the court to grant relief for the various outstanding payments.

In response, Alcon Nigeria Limited’s legal team argued that Mr. Ikenna’s entitlements were withheld because he had not completed the exit process or returned company property.

The defense added, “Withholding these properties and assets is a clear violation of the collective agreement signed between the parties,” claiming that the claimant’s “self-help” actions in withholding Alcon Nigeria Limited’s assets hindered the company’s ability to settle his entitlements as stipulated in the collective agreement.

What the court said 

In delivering judgment, Justice Muhammad Hamza held that, based on the evidence presented, the claimant was entitled to salary payments from October 2021 to January 13, 2022, minus one month’s pay in lieu of notice as specified in the company’s collective agreement.

The court further ruled that “Mr. Ikenna has proven his entitlements for unremitted pension contributions and End of Service/Gratuity from Alcon Nigeria Limited to the satisfaction of the court. The assertion that Mr. Ikenna had been employed by Alcon Nigeria Limited since 2004 requires no further proof.” 

  • On the matter of damages, Justice Hamza held that although Alcon Nigeria Limited breached the employment contract by not paying the claimant’s monthly salary, Mr. Ikenna was not entitled to general or exemplary damages as he had retained company property after his resignation.
  • Justice Hamza subsequently ordered the firm to pay the claimant his dues while Mr. Ikenna was ordered to return all Alcon Nigeria Limited property in his possession, including a Lexus vehicle and a laptop, in good condition within seven days.
  • The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, established in 1976, presides over cases related to labor disputes, civil matters, child trafficking, employment issues, entitlements, allowances, and workplace sexual harassment.

Court orders Alcon Nigeria to pay ex-workers over N39m

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Two brothers remanded in Kaduna for alleged armed robbery, killing

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Two brothers remanded in Kaduna for alleged armed robbery, killing

A Kaduna High Court on Tuesday ordered that two brothers be remanded in a correctional centre for alleged culpable homicide and armed robbery.

The police charged Hamza Jibrin, 27 and Yusuf Jibrin 24, with conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.

Justice Aisha Shagari ordered the remand of the defendants, after they pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Shagari adjourned the matter until Dec. 12 for hearing.

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Earlier, the Prosecutor, James Edward, said that the defendants and two others at large, while armed with matchete and other dangerous weapons along Airport Road, Kaduna, on Nov. 7, robbed and caused the death of a 26-year-old man, Rabiu Sani.

He said the defendants stole the deceased’s HP laptop, two cell phones, his wallet which contained two ATM cards and cash sum of N30,000.

Edward said that the offence is punishable under the Robbery and Firearms ( Special Provision) Act LFN, 2004.

The Defence counsel, Habiba Usman, had pleaded with the court to grant her clients bail.

Usman while moving her bail application, urged the court to gtant her client bail on literal terms, adding , that the defendants would be of good behaviour and would not jump bail.

Two brothers remanded in Kaduna for alleged armed robbery, killing

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Police dismiss bomb explosion reports in Jos as false alarm

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Police dismiss bomb explosion reports in Jos as false alarm

Residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, who were at the Terminus area of the city early this morning scampered for safety as rumours of a bomb planted in the neighbourhood filtered to town.

Diverse messages had circulated on social media about a suspected explosive device in the vicinity, causing panic, but the State Police Command debunked the rumour, saying it was a false alarm.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Alfred Alabo, explained, “In the early hours of today, the 12th day of November 2024, at exactly 08:20 am, the Plateau State Police Command received a report of a shallow dug hole suspected to be planted with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the Murtala Mohammed Way beside Old JUTH fence, which created panic among the residents.

“Upon receiving this report, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, CP Emmanuel Adesina, immediately ordered the Area Commander Metro and the Officer in Charge of the Command’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, aka Anti-Bomb Squad, to mobilise a team of bomb technicians to the scene in collaboration with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), “C” Division, to assess the situation and take necessary actions.

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“On reaching the scene, the area was immediately cordoned, and our EOD Team began examination. Upon conclusion of the examination, the hole was found to be safe and free of any explosive devices. CP Emmanuel Adesina and other members of his management team also visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

“The CP commends the people of Plateau State for being security conscious and cooperating with the police throughout the exercise. He therefore urges them to go about their normal business activities without fear, as the area is safe and free of any threats to lives and properties.”

Also, Cynthia Ukachukwu, whose shop is in the vicinity, told Vanguard on the phone, “I was in the market very early this morning to receive my goods. At about 8 am, I saw people hurrying about; when I asked what had happened, I heard there was a bomb close to the old JUTH.

“Police and other security agencies were here, and they asked us to vacate our shops, which we did, but as I am speaking with you now (11.25 am), I am in the shop because the police allowed us to go back to our businesses. Nobody is running here; everywhere is calm.”

Recall that the very busy neighbourhood had experienced a double bomb blast in 2014 where, yet to be ascertained, a number of people lost their lives, and scores are still carrying the scars of the scary incident.

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